John m



(No Model.)

J. M. SWAIM.

CAR BRAKE.

No. 879,548. Patented Mar. 13, 1888.

Z'iz'7 2 I WF d 3|... ...lnlgililmun/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SWAIM, OF BLOOMINGDALE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOE OE ONE-HALF TO HORACE B. LITTLE, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-BRAKE.

.PECIFICATIDN vlarming part of Letters Patent No. 379,548, dated March 13, 1888.

Application filed December 5, 1887. Serial No. 256,993. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. SWAIM. a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomingdale, in the county of Parke and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear. and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

- This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in car-brakes; and it hasl for its object to provide a positively-acting automatic car-brake that will be simple and cheap of construction, readily applied to a car, and which will be durable and efficient in operation.

The novelty resides in the peculiar combinations and the construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side view of a portion of a car equipped with my improved brake, part being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan ofthe same.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates a portion of a car, and B the wheels thereof, C designating a rail. The axle D has secured to it naar its center a pulley or drum, E, made in halves and bolted round the axle and keyed to the same to prevent its turning thereon, as shown in Fig. l. Y

F is the bumper, moving in suitable guides on the bottom of the car, andV normally held in the position shown in the drawings by means of the spring a around the rod b, carried by the bumper, and working through a hole in the guide c, which forms one point of resistance of the said spring.

Depending from the bumper to the rear of the guide d is the arm G, formedwith two notches, e and f, and with a perforation through which passes the arm g, carried by the sliding plate H, the rear end of which is bifurcated, as shown, and works through guides li, secured to the cross-bar I on the bottom of the car.

Around the rod g, and conned between the 5o plate or arm G and a shoulder on the plate H, is a coiled spring, i.

j is a pin or key passed through the rod g, outside the arm G.

Secured to the plate H is a carriage, J, 5 5 formed with depending ears K, in which is journaled the shaft k, on which is the windingdrnm Z and the friction-wheel L, so connected therewith as to move with it and yet be adjusted lengthwise thereof when necessary, for 6oV a purpose hereinafter explained. This friction-wheel carries upon each side a part, m, of

a friction-clutch, the other paris being slidingly secured to the shaft k by means of the slots and pins n and 0, respectively, and heldV to their working position by the springs p. As the cars do not always run with the same end foremost, I provide a right and left hand clutch or ratchet. The right will apply to the brakes when the car is running in one direc- 7o f tion and the left when it is running in the opposite direction.

The friction-wheel can be moved from the right to the left, as occasion may require, by means of the lever M, pivoted at r to the carriage J and bifurcated, as shown, with one leg on each side of said wheel. The other end of said lever is designed to be held in its adjusted position by engaging one or the other of the notches efin the arm G. When the train is 8o made up and the cars coupled, the brakeman always knows which way the carsare to run,` and can set the lever accordingly.

N is a chain or cord, secured at one end to the winding-drum Z and its other end designed to be attached to the brake lever. (Not shown.) y

The operation is apparent. The bumper is pressed in the plate Hand its attached parts are also moved in, which brings the frictiou- 6o wheel into contact with the drum on the axle, thus revolving theshaft la and winding up the chain N on its drum and applying the brakes.

To prevent the pushing in of the bumper when backing the cars from applying the brakes, the ratchet on the shaft of the frictionwheel will allow the same to turn back. without winding the brake-chain. The frictionwheel will slip on the drum when the brakes are wound up tight.

By the construction above described the brakes will always apply themselves when needed, and will al ways be off when not needed. They will not interfere in any way with the ordinary hand brake. When an engineer wants to stop or slow up his train, all he has to do is to check his engine, when the motion of the cars forward crowd back the bumpers and apply the brakes in the manner above described to all the cars; but as soon as the cars stop crowding and the engine pulls up again the brakes are all set loose by the returning of the bumpers to their normal position through the medium of the springs above described.

What I claim as new isl. The combination, with the axle, the drum thereon, and the movable bumper, of an arm, G, pendent from the under side of the bumper, a plate guided at one end by said arm and actuated by said bumper, a carriage on said plate, and a friction-wheel journaled in said carriage and arranged to Contact with said drum when the bumper is compressed, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the axle, the drum thereon, and the movable bumper, of the arm G, pendent from the bumper, a movable plate guided at one end by said arm and actuated by said bumper, the spring il between said arm and plate, a carriage on said plate, a shaft journaled in said carriage, a friction-wheel and a windingdrum on said shaft, and the brakechain secured to said drum, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the axle, the drum thereon, and the movable bumper, of a movable plate actuated by said bumper, a carriage on said plate, a shaft journaled in said carriage, a friction-wheel and awinding-drum on said shaft, and a clutch engagement between said shaft and friction-wheel, the cross-bar I, the guide h, secured thereto and receiving the bifurcated ends of the said plate, and the spring z', acting on said plate, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the axle, the drum thereon, and the movable bumper, of a movable plate actuated by said bumper, a carriage on said plate, a shaft journaled in said carriage, a friction-wheel and a winding-drum on said shaft, a right-and-left clutch engagement between said shaft and friction-Wheel, and a lever for shifting said friction-wheel on its shaft, the arm G, pendent from'the forward end of the bumper and forming a guide for the forward end of the plate and formed with notches to engage said lever, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

5. The combination, with the axle, the drum thereon, and the movable spring actuated bumper, of a plate actuated by said bumper, the yielding connection between said plate and bumper, a carriage on said plate, a sha ftjournaled in said carriage, a friction-wheel on said shaft, a right-and-lcft clutch engagement between said shaft and frictiouwheel, a lever pivoted to said carriage for adjusting the friction-wheel, and means on the bumper for holding said lever in its adjusted position, as set forth,

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN M. SVAIM.

' W'itnesses:

ALLEN MORRISON, JOSEPH C. VIcKoRY. 

